Bhubaneshwar, INDIA
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The eastern state of Odisha, kissed by the deep blue waters of the Bay of Bengal, is best known for its tribal culture and ancient Hindu temples. But the land home to the grand temple of Jagannath in Puri is blessed with a coastline of almost 500 kilometres and is also synonymous with ancient handicrafts. Odisha’s artistic persona reflects in its nickname, ’Utkal’ (Utkarsha+ Kala or excellence in skilled craft). Venture down an artisan trail to the heritage crafts villages of Pipli & Raghurajpur to unravel the legacy of homespun handiworks.
While Odisha flourished as a major seafaring nation and stronghold of the powerful Kalinga and Karavela dynasties in ancient times, it also propagated dozens of traditional crafts like sculpture, as is evident from hundreds of carved temples that dot the state today, including the iconic Sun Temple of Konark.
As many as 50 varieties of traditional crafts still thrive in the state lying on the eastern coast of India next to the Bay of Bengal. Some of these are stone and wood carving, silver filigree, appliqué work, palm-leaf etching, brass work, metal art, tribal jewellery, terracotta, lacquer craft, bamboo craft and horn craft. One of the best ways to learn more about the arts and crafts of Odisha is by taking a tour of the heritage villages of Raghurajpur and Pipli during your exclusive holiday to India.
12 kilometres short of Puri, lies the village of Raghurajpur, home of Pattachitra painting (patta, meaning canvas, and chitra, meaning drawing), where every other house is a workshop. Hundreds of skilled artists spend their lives inscribing sacred verses, mythological tales and pictures of deities on palm leaf and textile, following a 2000-year old tradition dedicated to Lord Jagannath. A brilliant variety of Ganjifa (ancient card game), wall hangings, and objects of home decor are up for grabs.
At Pipli, hundreds of artisans make a living by churning out colourful creations of appliquéd cloth, another heritage craft dating back to 16th or 18th century Jagannath temple traditions. A vibrant patchwork of elephants, flowers, tribal art and deities adorns items of everyday use like bedspreads, table linen, bags, canopies and umbrellas. Which one appeals to you as a memory of an unusual trip to India?
Transport: Private Car 
Activity level: Easy
Accessible to wheel chair: Yes 
Kid friendly: Yes 
Languages: English and Local Language 
Inclusions: •Professional Guide •Entry fees (if any) •Mineral water bottle •Pick-up drop from hotel by AC Vehicle 
Exclusions: Personal Expenses and Souvenir. 
Gratuities: Not included in tour cost;payable at guest's discretion 
Meet up location: Hotel Pick Up 
End of tour location: Hotel Drop Off Duration: Half Day Price: upto 2 adults ₹3540 | Price upto 2 adults | : ₹3,540 |
| Children | : Complimentary for children below 10 years |
25% of the total cost will be charged, if cancelled 15 to 10 days prior to the tour date.
50% of the total cost will be charged, if cancelled 9 to 5 days prior to the tour date.
No refund if cancelled less than 5 days prior to the tour date.
For group size more than 4 adults, write to us at info@footprintholidays.com
We can arrange other language speaking guides based on your request and availability
The tour can be customised to suit your needs like change of time, change of pick-up point, etc. You can write to us to info@footprintholidays.com customise your tour as per your preferences.
I will begin by saying that I had a FANTASTIC time in India. It was one of the best trips I've ever taken and I'm truly looking forward to hopefully having you book other trips for me in India.
I must say everything was planned to perfection. Each guide in every city was knowledgeable; especially the guide you arranged for us in Udaipur. We really enjoyed getting to know our guides Musheer and Kishore. We experienced the real India and appreciated the detailed itinerary your team created for us. The hotels were fantastic! In every hotel, the chef paid us a visit to make sure that we had meals suitable for us. We also enjoyed all the extra shopping excursions that were suggested.
The trip was a mega success and your team did a great job. Thanks to Footprint for everything. The entire family had a great time! The exclusive kalaripayattu demonstration was absolutely engaging and we loved every bit of the special private stand-up by Alex Babu (of Alex in Wonderland fame).
Thank you for a great trip! We especially enjoyed driving through the desertland into Jaisalmer; we also thoroughly enjoyed Bikaner, its Havelis and the Fort. Catching the daily life in Mumbai was a unique and eye-opening experience! All the hotels chosen are excellent with wonderful staff. Thank you!
Thank you for a wonderful trip to Kerala. We loved the village life walk and Fort Cochin walk. The backwater cruise in a traditional country boat was an incredible experience. A meal with the local family, living on an island in the backwaters, offered us an excellent opportunity to interact, learn and share. We loved every minute of our holiday! Thanks!
As a solo traveller, I felt safe and was exceptionally well taken care of. The cooking class in Jaipur was extremely enjoyable. The food, chef, and his wife were all exceptional and made for a lovely evening. Also, our expectations were definitely exceeded at a private residence, spending time with the elephants and lunching. Thanks!!
I loved India and thank you very much for arranging everything. It was a fabulous trip. Big kudos to you and your team. The tour guides and drivers were excellent. I loved the artisan walk, discovering the artistic treasures of Udaipur, meeting local potters and painters.
Thanks for arranging everything to precision – it was super smooth and we had a very good darshan!
Thanks for organising a great trip to Lucknow and Varanasi. The hotels at both the places were excellent; we had a great guide in Varanasi who went beyond the designated tour route and showed us around. The food tour in Lucknow was amazing and re-discovering the Awadhi Cuisine was a great experience – the kebabs were out of the world!
It was a terrific experience to spot the King of the jungle in all their glory at Gir. We had a very good experience overall.
It was a perfect leisure getaway – thanks for organising this! We loved the French Connection Trail; the guide took us through the French quarter sharing some incredible stories from the colonisation. We enjoyed the hotel and the service!